Florentine Stuffed Shells

These are a crowd pleaser for sure! Make these for a Pot Luck or Church Dinner, or when company's coming over. It makes a 13 x 9 inch pan of shells. Top it with your favorite marinara, or mine (which can be found here )!

1-12 oz box of Jumbo Shells
32 oz Ricotta cheese (part-skim milk is fine)

1-10 oz box of chopped frozen Spinach, defrosted (5 minutes in microwave will do this)

8 oz bag Mozzarella cheese
6 oz bag grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

1 tbs minced Parsley

1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper
1 quart marinara

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the shells according the the manufacturer's directions to al dente (chewy, not soft).

Place your defrosted spinach in a kitchen towel twist the ends in opposite directions until all the excess water is removed. Set aside.

Place a handful of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Mix thoroughly. Next, add the Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper and spinach. Again, mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Spray a 13x9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add a ladle of marinara to coat the bottom. Set aside.

Drain the shells and run cold water on them until they are cool enough to handle. Take a shell and gently pry it open. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle, close it and place in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells. When you finished, cover all the shells with the remaining marinara and the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe comes from my middle child, Holly, via Texas. Last summer she made them when she was visiting and I made her send me the recipe when she got home. I confess, I did change a couple things, partly be mistake. I should have waited a week though; she's coming to visit again!!

1 rotisserie chicken, picked clean then shredded into small pieces

1-8 oz bag of Mexican blend shredded cheese

1-14 to 16 oz can of green Enchilada sauce (I used red because I picked it up by mistake)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped (my addition)

1 clove minced garlic (my addition also)

2 tbs olive oil (again, my addition)

1-14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies (I use Ro-tel)

1- 8 count pack of 12 inch tortillas (flour or corn - it's up to you)

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro (I used flat leaf parsley)
1 package of dry enchilada or fajita seasoning mix (if you can't find it, don't fret. I used low sodium taco seasoning mix)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic to the pan and cook until tender. This will take about 5-8 minutes.

Dump the tomatoes into a large bowl. If you don't like tomatoes, mash them with a potato masher. Add the cooked vegetables and mix. Add the seasoning mix and stir well. I added a small handful of cheese (although the original recipe doesn't call for it) and the shredded chicken and cilantro (or parsley). Mix well. This mixture should be damp, not wet, so add a bit of the enchilada sauce if necessary.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish. This should be a very thin layer, not enough sauce to make the enchiladas soggy. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on one end of the tortilla and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle the tortillas with half the remaining cheese. Cover the tortillas evenly with the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and filling is hot.

Serves 8 (or 4 to 6 if you're really hungry)

NOTE: A friend of mine asked, "why am I dumping everything into a bowl when I already have a saute pan going?" I responded, "beats me?" So, do whatever works for you!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Holiday hold over! All holiday recipes must go!! Actually I just forgot I had this photo lying in wait in my camera. This is more of a technique than a recipe. I’ll give you the ingredients involved and you decide on the quantity (mine changes every time I make them). I, personally, cannot get away without making a huge pan of Candied Sweet Potatoes. I’ve even tried to leave them off the menu and was met with serious oppositition! They are only made a few times each year, usually Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Read on, and you’ll understand why! They are a crowd pleaser and sure to disappear quickly!

Sweet Potatoes, or Yams, skin on
Butter
Light Brown Sugar
Dark Brown Karo Syrup (I've tried other syrups, Karo works the best)

Rinse the potatoes, place in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Place a lid on the pot and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Using tongs move the potatoes to a towel to drain and cool. When you can handle them without burning yourself, cut the ends of the potatoes and pull off the skin. I do this, as I go along, not before hand. Spray a large casserole, or baking dish, with non-stick cooking spray and place several pats of butter, a drizzle of Karo Syrup, and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar in the bottom. Next, slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise and layer them in the dish. Again, place several pats of butter, a drizzle of Karo syrup, and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the layer of potatoes. This is your method, one layer of potatoes and one layer of butter, syrup, and sugar. The more butter, syrup, sugar you use, the soupier the potatoes will be. Continue until you are out of potatoes or reach the top of your pan. Make sure you leave enough room at the top for bubbling. Bake at 350 for 2 hours, or, as I do, bake them overnight at 200. The longer you bake these, the more candied they will be.

Now you understand why I only make these a few times each year. Make plenty; people will want to take some home!